Italian soprano Daniela Dessi dies at 59 after brief illness

Last month, Dessi wrote to her fans on Facebook saying she had to cancel all her summer performances due to an undisclosed health problem. The ANSA news agency quoted her companion, Fabio Armiliato, as saying she died in Brescia after a "brief, terrible and incomprehensible illness."

In a statement Saturday (Aug. 20), La Scala said Dessi's solid technique, strong temperament and "rare interpretative sensibility" made her one of the "most notable figures on the international operatic scene."

It added that her performances "remain among the unforgettable pages of La Scala's history from recent decades."

Aside from La Scala, Dessi performed in major opera houses including the Metropolitan in New York, Vienna's Staatsoper and the Deutsche Oper in Berlin.